Cliff 
This Christmas you might be looking for something a little bit special to give to a child. Everyone has special books that they remember from their own childhood, and here at The Bookery we have been bowled over by some of the incredibly beautiful new gift books that have arrived recently. We’re sure that these will become those special books that be treasured for a lifetime.
With so much new and exciting middle grade fiction to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. In this list we’ve highlighted some of the best that might hide under the radar, as well as our favourites from the more well-known authors. Whether your child stays up reading under the duvet with a torch, or hardly sits still long enough to read more than a couple of pages, we’re sure we’ve got something that will keep … Read more
Bookery volunteer Tilly Lander Williams was at the heart of the Exeter Literary Festival this year, and sends us this report: Have you spotted the banners in Princesshay celebrating Exeter’s UNESCO City of Literature status? Seeing them recently, I felt a mixture of pride and nostalgia (when Exeter was first recognised as a ‘Creative City’, I was writing about it pre-pandemic). If anything, the past 18 months have proved Exeter’s love for literature even more. From the success of Libraries … Read more
Christmas is always a really special time for smaller children, and reading together is a wonderful way to share the Yuletide spirit. But what to read? Do you like to really crank up the tinsel and jingle bells at Christmas, or prefer a more reflective and traditional mood? In this collection of new Christmas picture books, even the world’s biggest Scrooge will find something to light a little festive fire in their hearts!
From Ancient Greece to a future ecological dystopia, by way of African myth and a good old-fashioned murder mystery – everyone needs somewhere to escape. This broad collection of new YA novels will feed a teenager’s festive reading addiction, with each one an absolute cracker!
Some of the best book recommendations come not from banners, adverts or ‘people who read this liked this’ algorithms, but from personal testimony. And, let’s be honest, it’s always good to see what other people are reading and enjoying! We’ve listed below some of the books that The Bookery staff have been loving recently – we hope that we can pass on our enthusiasm for these great titles.
A searing novel – the emotional temperature of both pleasure and pain are hard to bear at times but the writing is brilliant and makes for compulsive reading. Edith is about to die. She reflects on her life, to understand who she is and the story of how she became. When she was 8 her mother suffered a brain haemorrhage. Unable to cope with her disabilities, Edith’s father fled. Edith learned how to support her mother and they managed … Read more
Children’s activism has been pushing the environmental agenda on the world stage in an inspiring and powerful way. These books, from pre-school picture books to YA thrillers, will help engaged young people to keep riding the wave.
A playful and entertaining book, from the author of the 2016 award-winning novel His Bloody Project. Having previously discovered a controversial but fascinating book by the disgraced yet extraordinary psychotherapist Collins Braithwaite, the author (ie Macrae Burnet) is offered some contemporary notebooks which are apparently the diary of a young woman who was determined to expose the therapist for causing the suicide of her sister. The notebooks reveal a sadly naïve young woman with a determination to avenge her … Read more
The unicorns in Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre’s hilarious new book Kevin vs The Unicorns are a pretty snobby bunch. And as some of the most noble mythical creatures around with a history going back to the time of Ancient Greece, symbolic of purity and grace, they might well get a bit big-headed. However, unicorns aren’t always such arrogant creatures…and we thought it was only fair to highlight below some of the other unicorns in recent children’s books. And … Read more
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